There are many procedures in industry wherein it is necessary to properly support a yarn package so that the yarn may be readily taken off the package, and the yarn package may be replaced when exhausted. In the textile industry in particular there are numerous textile processes requiring proper positioning of yarn packages for continuous yarn takeoff, such as texturing, warping, twisting, cone winding, drawing, tufting, and ring spinning operations.
In a typical conventional textile process, each machine transforms multiple packages of yarn--after treatment (e.g. texturing)--to multiple treated yarn packages. Typically, packages of the treated yarn (e.g. textured yarn) are moved in groups in some type of container to temporary storage. Subsequently the containers of packages are moved to the next process, where the individual packages are manually transferred to a machine creel, for use in the process (e.g. spinning). The doffing of multiple yarn packages, their subsequent storage movement, and creeling of multiple yarn packages require substantial labor. Also such processes can have a fair amount of waste associated therewith, and machine efficiency is less than desirable.
According to the present invention, a method and system are provided for creeling and doffing of multiple yarn packages, particularly for textile processes, which avoid many of the drawbacks associated with conventional doffing and creeling methods and systems. According to the method and system of the present invention, there is a substantial reduction in labor requirements, reduced waste, and improved machine efficiency.
A basic element utilizable in the practice of the method of the present invention, and as part of the system of the present invention, is a creel module. The module has one or a plurality of yarn package-receiving creel pins associated therewith. Preferably the creel pins are positioned so as to define a plurality of rows; for instance two rows of creel pins are provided with a plurality of yarn packages mounted in each row.
The empty modules are brought from a queue, loaded with yarn packages, as with automatic loading equipment, at a loading position. The loaded creels are passed to a buffer position, and ultimately conveyed, as with an overhead conveyor, to positions adjacent a creel frame. When adjacent the creel frame, the loaded modules are transported from the conveyor into operative association with the creel frame, and are positioned so that the running ends of the yarn packages may be readily acted upon by a consuming machine, so that the yarn is taken off the yarn packages.
After exhausting all of the yarn packages of each module, the module is removed from the creel frame and is replaced with another, loaded, module. The exhausted module is transported by the conveying means in a closed loop back to a buffer zone and subsequently brought to the loading position, wherein it is again loaded with yarn packages.
Where each module includes first and second rows of yarn packages, preferably first and second modules are associated with each creeling position on the creel frame. The yarn packages of the first and second modules at each creel position are operatively connected so that they are exhausted in the following order: first module, first row; second module, first row; first module, second row; and second module, second row. The modules are rotated 180.degree. about a vertical axis after the exhausting of each row of yarn packages thereof, so that the next row of yarn packages is in operative position to be readily taken off by the consuming machine. When a module is exhausted, it is replaced with another, loaded, module. In this way, there may be continuous yarn take-off from each creeling position, with the only labor input necessary being the connecting of the tail of each running yarn package to the running end of the next yarn package to be utilized.
The invention is utilizable in numerous segments of the textile industry. Whether the invention is utilized in high style segments of the industry--where there are small batches or production runs--or staple segments where textiles are produced in large volumes, in long runs, which may occupy single or multiple machines for long periods of times--the invention is advantageous.
Where volumes are extremely low, it is desirable to have premetered packages and to employ block creel processes such that exact quantities needed in each manufacturing cycle are produced. In this type environment, product accumulates between processes and is consumed in "slugs" or quantities sufficient to creel one machine at a time. For example, in warping of industrial products, 1200 packages may be creeled of a product in one slug, warped, and then changed to a new product type.
Where block creeling is employed, the creel module according to the invention substantially reduces the machine changeover time at lot changes. Whereas currently, the creel is unloaded and reloaded package by package for each new product on a manual basis, according to the invention, mechanical loading and unloading of modules, each containing multiple packages, will be practiced. Thus it can be seen that machine downtime will be reduced and labor requirements reduced. Assuming mechanical loading/unloading of modules, labor will be reduced to tieing of ends between the old and new product, and a pullover (to get the new product threaded through the tensioning guides) and then starting the machine cycle. Because of the nature of the product manufactured, labor requirements unavoidably arise at the end of batches. Typically, these type operations must overstaff with additional employees to achieve reasonable levels of machine productivity.
Conversely, large manufacturing runs involve days, weeks, and months of the same product on the same machine. Here--by practicing the invention--the opportunity exists to regulate the arrival of work in such a way that overall manning requirements are reduced to compare with those for small lot manufacturing requirements. This is accomplished by initially "seeding" the creel with modules, each having packages of the same length, and with the length of packages varying between modules. After the initial row of packages, all subsequent rows have yarn packages of the same length. Once "seeded" the order and arrival rate are established for the future. The transfer of the thread lines from one module to another provides a continuous supply of yarn to the process.
It should be understood that the modular creel concept according to the invention can be adapted to meet the needs of any manufacturing batch size. Not only does it provide creeling of multiple packages in one module, a savings over individual package handling, but it may be operated in either a random or block creeling mode to meet the specific production requirements of manufacturing. This characteristic flexibility of the invention is a major advantage thereof.
It should also be understood that the creel module provides a method for reducing handling costs. Once packages are doffed and positioned on the modules in a first process, a second process may be creeled by positioning the module containing multipe packages in a creel of a second process. Handling of individual packages at the second process is eliminated.
Other aspects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.